Now’s your chance to take in the fabulous world of Van Gogh at the Phillips Collection in DC’s Dupont Circle with the first ever exhibit devoted solely to the artist. The awe-inspiring collection of the master’s art has now been extended until 02 Feb! The exhibition, titled Van Gogh Repetitions, focuses on Van Gogh’s self-described “repetition” when practicing his craft. 35 paintings and 13 “repetitions” are included in the exhibit, which also showcase some of his best-known paintings from around the world, on loan from New York’s MoMA, the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, and the Museé d’Orsay in Paris. Van Gogh is always in very high demand! We recommend advance tickets because the exhibition is very popular. On your next trip to Provence, a must-see for connoisseurs is the town of Arles, where Van Gogh lived in 1888 - 1890 and produced some of his notable intensely-colored works of art, including the Yellow House, Starry Night Over the Rhone, and Cafe Terrace at Night! Arles is also where he and Paul Gauguin began and ended their tumultuous friendship, creating Les Alyscamps and Memory of the Garden at Etten together before Van Gogh famously cut off part of his own ear. To this day you can still walk the streets of Arles and see the same visuals that Van Gogh saw himself, including the arena! Van Gogh has been a huge inspiration, even to other masters such as Monet and Picasso. What better way to inspire your next trip than to focus on the vast art and culture of the 19th and 20th centuries in Europe? Add Letters of Vincent Van Gogh to your inspiration reading list!

The Côte d'Azur:Provence Photo Gallery

Michelangelo Buonarroti: 450 Years Later, Feb 1564

2014 marks the 450th anniversary of Michelangelo’s death (06 Mar 1475 - 18 Feb 1564, age 88), and many museums around the world are presenting a special exhibit, including the Accademia Gallery in Florence. On display from 18 Feb - 18 May, 2014 Getting Reacquainted with Michelangelo, focuses on the renewed interest and admiration for the artist from the XIX-c through today in the form of photography. In April also in Florence (date TBA), a large costumed procession will start at Casa Buonarroti and continue to Piazzale Michelangelo where readings from Michelangelo will be presented by the replica David statue. Who knows? Perhaps next time you are in town will be during one of these once-in-a-lifetime exhibits and events!

NEWS: American Airlines & US Airways Merger Creates the World's Largest Airline

What began initially as a plan to merge American Airlines and US Airways by 2015 is now “taking flight” a little earlier.

In early December, American Airlines and US Airways announced their arrangement to combine and become the “American Airlines Group.” This will expand their flight network to over 330 destinations worldwide, creating the world’s largest airline, measured by number of employees.

Just five weeks after this notice, it looks their plans are swiftly coming into action. On 23 Jan, a codeshare agreement began, in which both carriers can sell seats on either airline using their own airline codes and flight numbers. Both airlines serve major airports, such as New York JFK, Los Angeles, Chicago, DCA, and Philadelphia, as well as dozens of international routes. And that isn’t all—until 02 March, a bonus of 50% AAdvantage miles will be offered to all American customers who book US Airways flights. Frequent flyers will see even more benefits for their time spent aboard. They now qualify for frequent flyer miles on both American’s AAdvantage and US Airway’s Dividend Miles. Is there anywhere you’ve been wanting to go? Well the time is right! Lots of new extras!

Be on the lookout for even more changes in the coming months. Members will be able to use both airline’s airport lounges and daily WiFi passes. And after 31 Mar, US Airways’ Star Alliance Membership will join with American in the “Oneworld Alliance.”

These new agreements will provide numerous benefits for customers and gradually merge the two airlines, but full integration is not expected for another two years or so, at which point US Airways will be phased out, and AA will take over all services.

Directions

In a small bowl mash half of the beans with a masher or the back of a spoon, and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, zucchini, garlic, thyme, sage, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper, and cook stirring occasionally until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.

Add the broth and tomatoes with the juice and bring to a boil. Add the mashed and whole beans and the spinach leaves and cook until the spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes more.

The Lemon Festival(Menton, France)

Each winter, the lovely little town of Menton, situated on the Côte d'Azur near the Italian Border celebrates its annual Lemon Festival, thanks to being one of the biggest producers of lemons. This year the Fête du Citron takes place from the 15 Feb to 05 Mar, 2014. Founded in 1934, the festival attracts thousands of people from all over the world to admire all the attractions built around the citrus fruit. Every year the festival has a different theme, this year being 20000 Lieues sous les Mers, a play on “20,000 Leagues under the Sea”. Discover the splendor of lemon sculptures in the Biovès Gardens as you dive into an “ocean” of lemons. Visitors to Menton become enthralled during the festival evenings by the liveliness of the city and the beauty of the illuminated lights, which creates an impressively magical atmosphere. Another festival highlight is the weekly Sunday parade that passes through the narrow streets before reaching the seafront, creating a festive atmosphere that satisfies both the young and old at heart. It may be too late to attend this year, but 2015 is right around the corner; and while the weather may not be tropical, southern France is a nice alternative to the cold Mid-Atlantic February chill!

Latvia Joins the Euro

Just this year, Latvia became the 18th country (can you name the others??) to jump on the bandwagon and come a part of the Eurozone.

Although Latvia has been a member of the European Union (EU) free market since 2004, joining the Eurozone will bind Latvia economically to the rest of the EU and replace Latvia’s current currency- the Lat- with the Euro. After 01 Jan, Latvia’s membership became official, and after 15 Jan, the Lat was no longer accepted.

Latvia will see numerous benefits for its new place in the Eurozone. When crossing the Latvian border, travellers no longer have to exchange currency. Finance minister Andris Vilks also sees immense gain for his country. Latvia’s full inclusion in every main institution in Europe, such as the EU and NATO, will make the country “more integrated and protected in case of troubles,” he says. Additionally, Latvia will have reduced exchange rate and transaction costs when exporting to the rest of the Eurozone, which is a major advantage, as Latvia exports nearly 30 percent of its goods.

After enforcing drastic yet largely successful measures to recover from an ailing economy in 2008/2009, some Latvians are hesitant to join a union that has been experiencing its own set of economic struggles. Others are concerned about possible price rises or a loss of national identity… but we’re optimistic!

We may see even more Eastern European countries join the Eurozone in future years. Estonia’s membership became official in 2011, and Lithuania is scheduled to follow suit in 2015.

Travel Tech: T-Mobile's Simple Choice Plan

Our prayers have been answered!! If you’re not a T-Mobile user already, then you may want to switch providers before your next trip overseas. Starting with the new year, T-Mobile is revolutionizing the wireless industry with their latest “Simple Choice” plan, which allows you to travel to over 100 countries with no extra data charges. Can you believe it!? Their newest data plans start at $60/month for 2.5 GB, and all plans include unlimited domestic calls and texts. When travelling abroad, the only thing that changes is calls become 20 cents a minute. Although data slows down to 2G abroad, you can choose to upgrade to a higher speed (4G) for a minimal upcharge. No more international roaming fees when you check your newsfeed on Facebook, post your latest selfie on Instagram, or check Google Maps while travelling! We’re convinced that T-Mobile currently offers the very best plan for international travel. For a list of all countries covered, click here.

We'll Miss You, Dino!

Some sad news to announce, since our good friend Dino, owner of L’Oliva Nera, passed away early in January after a courageous battle with cancer. Many of our clients have had the privilege of meeting him and his wife Isabella while dining at their restaurant in Venice. He was known for his charming smile, dedication, and love of food and cooking. Dino, we’ll miss you dearly! Ci mancherai! If you’d like to send condolences, Isabella’s email is olivanera@me.com.